Need a Break
by CaptainInappropriate
Summary: Alternate DR and ANMMHE plus so much more. Too much is happening for Ronnie to start feeling anything with her ex again, but she can't help it. Love. R&R Please!
1. I Think I'm Paranoid

spoiler for the first scene of 'Donut Run'

Ok so everyone keeps telling Veronica that she's self centered aaaand I don't see that. Ok so sometimes I do but... not in this story! So… who knows where it'll go. Buuut this is my first VM fic, but CERTAINLY not my first fic ever. Soooo, tell me what you think!

I NEED A BREAK

PG-13

If there is a pairing, it certainly won't be no **V**enereal**D**isease. We practive safe sex here, so it'll be LoVely.

Veronica hadn't resorted to this in over two years. But today, everybody's looks and everybody's criticism was just too much.

So here she sat, just like the first two weeks after Lily died, alone and locked in a stall in the girls' bathroom while the others ate their lunch. Veronica didn't have the energy or desire to eat, so she sat on the very edge of the toilet with her elbows rested on one of her binders as she waited for the twenty-five minute lunch period pass.

Was she really as selfish as people said she was? And not only that, but did they really expect her to _not_ watch out for herself? If she didn't, then who would? Clearly, if today had showed her anything, it was that nobody would.

Maybe she should have paid more attention to her warning to not approach Duncan about it... was The Dick actually trying to... not be a dick? But how could she be expected to just ignore the town's loosest skirt showering in her boyfriend's bathroom...

"Stupid," Veronica whispered to herself, unsure of whether or not she was calling herself or Duncan the name.

"_So…Where were you yesterday?" She had wanted to approach him in a nice way, hoping to get some kind of semi-acceptable answer.  
_

"I stayed home."

"No you didn't…I came by." Had Logan told everyone, including Duncan, about it? Had Kendall?

"_I stayed home, then in the afternoon, I went for a drive." The poor boy must miss the days when his puppy-dog eyes and sweet tone could get him out of trouble. _

_This is where Veronica started to lose her patience. "I called your cell ten times."_

"_I had it turned off."_

"_Yeah, I figured that out." _

"_God, what's the problem? I needed some time to think." This would have been enough, if the whole Kendall incident had just been a bad dream. _

"_My problem starts with finding Kendall in your shower."_

'_Kendall?" She lost all hope then; Duncan didn't show any remorse, no guilt at all. "She probably got the bedrooms confused-"_

"_Don't lie to me!" She had snapped right then, all patience with her 'perfect boyfriend' lost. "I trusted you the first time, but I'm nobody's fool-"_

"_Perfect," He interrupted. "Meg's dead, I can't see my daughter- But by all means, Veronica, let's make this about you. Why shouldn't this be like any other day?"_

"_God- SHUT UP about meg." She was shouting now, and perhaps being a little offensive. "_I'm_ alive, _I'm_ your girlfriend." _

_Duncan gave her his signature sideways look, a silent and instant warning, before he answered, "Not anymore." _

Veronica sighed and shook her head as she looked down at her phone. There was still too much of the lunch period left for her to head to class, but she wasn't sure she could take the silence anymore. She wasn't exactly as broken hearted about being dumped as she expected to be after the words left his mouth, but she still felt horrible.

How could they all think she was so selfish?

A few people had come in and out of the bathroom quietly during the off period, but she had been left in peace. But now, she heard the door open and noted that it didn't close again. Feet shuffled for a moment before someone spoke loudly. "Maintenance, maintenance... any ladies in here, maintenance..."

She had heard this before. Staying after school for journalism every week sometimes left her impatiently bouncing outside the girl's room as it was cleaned.

"Yeah, yeah- I'm coming out." She answered, just loud enough for it to echo back into her own ears. She grimaced and stuffed her binder back into her bag and pocketed her phone.

As Veronica rolled up her sleeves and opened the stall door, intent on washing her hands and leaving, she heard the door shut and turned to see who was wedging the door shut just before a girl tried to push it back open.

"Great," she mumbled.


	2. Bad Boyfriend

AHHH there's another spoiler for the first scene of Donut Run in here. And I TOTALLY agree with Logan's last line. That's my view, right there.

Alllright, so FF decided it'd italicize whatever the f it wants to italicize in the last chapter, so lets see if it does it again! Lol thanks for the hits and the REVIEW! Lol, if you view it... can ya just drop a review for me? And FanFicFairy... tell me if I surprised you. I didn't know who was gonna be at the door... I wanted it to be slightly different.

Here goes!

NEED A BREAK CH. 2 

Bad Boyfriend

"If you were thinking that this would make a positive impact on my day, you were sorely mistaken." Veronica said, looking at her hands as the warm water ran over them, instead at the interruption.

"Aw come on, Ronnie... I've never been in the girls' bathroom before." Dick Casablancas looked around and nodded in approval.

"Come on, Dick, what do you want?" Veronica asked shortly, turning to face him after she disposed of her paper towel.

"Oh please, that little display of public humiliation out there? I had to come find you and-"

"Just STOP. Okay?" She cut him off and put up a hand. "How 'bout you go find something more productive to do with your spare time? And-... Stop calling me 'Ronnie'." She finished and brushed past him, the left the restroom after kicking the doorstop out of the way.

Dick grinned and walked out behind her and observed as people started murmuring.

"She certainly gets around fast."

"Didn't Kane just dump her like five minutes ago?"

Veronica set her jaw and made her way to Journalism, though slightly hesitantly, as Duncan was in this class. Now all she wanted to do was decide if she wanted to play the pissed off card, or mix it up and throw 'unaffected' into the mix.

When Veronica reached the door to her classroom, she still hadn't decided, and since the warning bell hadn't rung, she stopped and pretended to read a few bulletins that were posted.

"Ya' know, they're the same as they were last week, when _you_ posted them."

Veronica closed her eyes briefly before choosing which card she was going to deal. "Yeah," She said and turned. "I just like admiring my work."

"Veronica Mars, what a big head you have." Logan said in a high-pitched voice.

"You're just full of fairytales, aren't you?"

She had to run and stick her hands in the way of the elevator doors to get them to reopen for her, but then almost instantly regretted it. Logan gave her a very 'Logan' type of look and, knowing that she couldn't just turn around and say 'Never mind', she got onto the elevator and crossed her arms. 

She was perfectly lift to the penthouse in perfect silence, but Echolls felt the need to interact.

"_Hi, ho." _

_Taking a second to ponder whether or not she wanted to merit that with an answer, she turned slightly to ask, "What did you say?"_

"_Your uniform. Hi-ho, it's off to work we go." He answered as if he were the most innocent person on the planet. _

_Veronica looked back to the doors of the elevator and smiled ruefully. "I guess that would make me Snow White."_

"Well, what can I say?" Logan started, opening the door to the room for Veronica to enter. "It's been a very 'Disney' week."

Veronica gave a mock snort and walked into the classroom, but not without adding, in a very false, happy tone, "For you, maybe."

To Veronica's delight, Duncan wasn't in the room yet, but the warning bell has just rung, so he was bound to come barging in within seconds, so she quickly made her way to her normal seat, which was typically next to him. She sat down with a smug smile, knowing she wouldn't be the one forced to find a different seat.

Veronica pulled out her camera and her portfolio before slouching and sticking the end of her pen in her mouth, looking extra settled in as she heard the door open, expecting Duncan.

"Alright, guys," Ms. Guiese, the latest replacement for Mrs. Dent, said and set a large stack of documents on the table. "We're going to do something a little different today." She straightened and used her finger to count the students; her way of taking attendance. "Missing two, who's missing?" She muttered to herself. "Duncan and Dick..." She walked over to her computer to enter the absences.

"Okay, so we're going to look at these..."

Logan, not patient enough to wait for Ms. Guiese to finish, leaned over to Veronica and whispered, "So is Boy Wonder not here because you already handed his ass to him?"

"I take it you haven't talked to Dick." She said lowly, adding a sharp emphasis to the boy's name.

"Guys, hold on," The teacher reprimanded. "I'm almost done explaining and then you can talk all you want."

It was probably harder for Clemmons to find a replacement for the periodical classes than it was to console the parents after the crash. No clear-minded substitute would accept the job, knowing that so many kids had died, and that the ones left over were probably going to be affected as well. But Ms. Guiese, a young blonde Guidance-Counselor-hopeful, agreed to take the classes.

She was just about done explaining the collage-type assignment when Dick slapped the door open loudly, and walked in with a large Dick-grin. "So I got the coolest story." He boomed, ignoring the teacher yelling at him.

"Apparently Duncan didn't go to his first class, which, I mean, is just useless... Why come to school if you're going to ditch first period?"

"Dick, take a seat and-"

"No no, you'll enjoy this." Dick said with a sideways glance at the teacher, who started to talk again, but was ignored. "So he left and hasn't been back, but I heard a cop outside in the parking lot put out a warning for the boarder checks for a dude matching DK's mug and a baby."

"Heading for Mexico..." Logan observed, slightly bemused. "Hasn't he tried that before?"


	3. Case of the Ex

Alrighty, friends of mine... here is Chapter three. And I'd like for everyone to know that me updating three whole times in a row is like a personal record for me. –winky winky-

Ok... and I certainly do expect to keep writing after this episode airs... in fact I have this scary kinda feeling that I'm not going to enjoy this episode much. So this might be my alternate world heh.

The 'spoilers' are just from the opening scene that airs on upn... for colorado it's upn20.tv so everything in italics are from the first little bit, sans the infamous 'Previously on Veronica Mars'... Soo... here is Chapter three, and THANK YOU SO MUCH for the hits and reviews!

--

NEED A BREAK CH 3

Case of the Ex 

Veronica looked up at Dick and blinked. Duncan took off? With the _baby?_ He went and _stole_ a _baby_ and RAN OFF? All she could think was, "WHAT?"

"Ok, we'll all get a great laugh out of the rumors _after_ I assign this." Ms. Guiese tried once again. 

"Yeah, pick a current event and cut out pictures to represent it in an abstract manner. You explained wonderfully." Veronica stood up and walked around the table to grab a stack of magazines before she turned her attention back to Dick. "Now- run that by me again?"

"Duncan's run off again?" Cassidy asked quietly and sat near them after taking a magazine as well. "You think you can find him again?" He asked Veronica.

"No." She answered instantly. "If he really ran off with that baby..." She let out a strangled laugh and threw herself down into her chair with one of the magazines.

Dick watched as she opened the latest issue of Newsweek and shook her head, threw a sideways glance at the little group, then let out another miffed sound, and widened her eyes before settling them back on her magazine. "Aw, come on, V, I know he embarrassed you, but you should really try finding him, if you're good enough."

"No, Dick, you don't get it." Veronica started, picking up a pair of scissors to cut out a picture from her magazine. "If he took that baby, then... he broke a law. A big law... a federal law. That's abduction. The FBI will be involved..."

The three boys around her seemed to sober considerably, realizing the trouble Duncan was getting into.

--

Veronica was almost amused at the cruel convenience that every time a piece of her life imploded she was left alone at home. This time it was another bail jumper hiding out in Minnesota before he crossed over the boarder into Canada.

That didn't mean that his 'sources' hadn't told him about Duncan Kane. He had known probably before Veronica did, which annoyed her in a way, but at the same time comforted her. She'd lied through her teeth and told that she'd broken things off with him since he'd been acting so reckless. He'd seemed relieved and proud, so she fought to not feel guilty.

She'd already had to resist the urge to clean every surface in the kitchen and finally resorted to cooking herself a high-quality meal of chicken drumsticks, stuffing from a box, and glazed carrots; her mom's old cookbooks came in handy occasionally.

One thought stayed in her mind the entire time she prepared the meal-for-one, and further into her evening until she found herself staring blankly at the television. 'Selfish, selfish Veronica Mars.'

It wasn't like she had ever let what anyone else said to or about her get to her like this... but she had never made a conscious effort to be conceited. Veronica considered ignoring her cell as it blared out a Christmas song, and as she stood to get it off of the kitchen counter she noted that she needed to change it. Her mood changed considerably after seeing that Wallace was calling her.

"Hello, my deary." She said in a raspy voice with a grin.

"Hey, I heard about Duncan."

Veronica rolled her eyes, but only because she was alone and no one was there to witness it. "Yeah, not exactly exhibiting the smarter side of our species..."

"Well, I can't exactly say that the brother had much of a brain." Wallace joked; he had never really liked Duncan in all honesty.

"Yeah..." Veronica trailed off and licked her lips before she asked, "So were you in school today or...?"

"Unfortunately I was confined to the guidance counselor's office. The wonderful faculty of Neptune High frowns upon a month of missed classes."

"I'd bet." Whether or not Wallace was going to continue, she decided to ask the question that she'd been trying to spit out since he finally emailed her after running off. "Are you mad at me?"

"What?" She could recognize a time-buying 'what' any day, so she didn't merit it with an answer. "No... I guess not."

"Because... what I did at the dance wasn't what it must've looked like I was doing. I swear I wasn't confronting her about... whatever. It was who she was with that I was mad about."

Wallace was quiet for a moment and Veronica found herself wondering whether or not he was thinking she was selfish. "It wasn't that big of a deal." He said finally and she let out a short sigh.

"I'm sorry, though, I've been a butthead."

"No big, V." Veronica laughed at him, and felt herself relax just a little bit. "So what do you say? Ya think Ms. Dunn will let me back into class?"

"I won't say that we've done anything substantial lately... I'd say the prognosis is hopeful." Just as he was starting to add something else, she cut him off. "Wallace, can you do me a favor?" He was quiet for a split second before quietly agreeing. "Could you... tell me... next time I'm being a butthead?"

He grunted and answered, "Yeah, I got you."

Later, when Veronica returned to her perch on the couch (which now included being a cushion for Back Up), she settled in to watch a breaking news story in which the FBI was closing in on kidnapping suspect Duncan Kane.

--

SUPER THANKS TO REVIEWERS: **FanFicFairy, LJ, Simply Lily and Anto!**

Oh- and all the names of the chapters are titles from a song in my music library... the first two were unintentionally Garbage and this one is Mya or something... the song content has nothing to do with the chapter- just the title.


	4. Start the Commotion

I don't quite know what I thought of donut run. I LOVED the plot, don't get me wrong, the end when lamb figured some things out –wink- was AWESOME. And I really kinda noticed how pretty he is... anyway, DOES THIS MEAN THAT TEDDY DUNN IS OFF THE CAST? That'd be awesome. –gets clobbered by many Duncan fans- So... I guess I'll be less harsh on the D man than I planned. Just because of Donut Run. And no worries... I think it'll be LoVely... –winky winky-

Soooo, here's chapter 4. THANK YOU SO MUCH for the reviews, you guys REALLY ROCK. In CAPITALS. Keep them coming!

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**NEED A BREAK CH 4**

**Start the Commotion**

Veronica awoke the next morning to the sound of her father coming back into the apartment. She could tell he was trying to be quiet, but decided to get up and greet him anyway. She'd had her fill of being alone.

"Hey honey," Keith greeted when he saw her walk down the hallway. "I didn't mean to wake you."

"It's ok. I wasn't doing such a bang up job of sleeping, actually. Do you need help with anything?" She looked over at the clock and saw that it was almost six, and figured that going back to sleep would be useless.

"No, it's fine... are you up for good now, then?" He asked, noting her glance at the clock.

"Yeah," Veronica sighed and sat down on the couch lazily.

"I was hoping I could talk to you for a minute." He sat down on the far end of the couch and faced her with his elbows on his knees. Veronica just nodded and laid her head down on the back of the couch. "I'm guessing you heard that the lead they had on Duncan was a dead-end?"

Veronica nodded; the news had been all over it the previous night. His family's boat was just over the boarded and hadn't responded to warnings from the Coast Guard. When they boarded, there were dirty diapers and empty soda cans, but no Duncan and no 'Faith'.

"Well, I have a buddy that I told me a few things... the FBI's involved." Keith was judging his daughter's reactions, but continued. "Duncan called Logan from upstate California at about two this morning... Now Veronica, I need you to tell me if you know anything about what Duncan's doing."

Veronica lifted her head up and stared at her father with her jaw slightly dropped. "What?" Keith looked away to the coffee table and Veronica's temper raised. "You think that I'm helping him? He broke up with me- rather viciously, I might add, and then ran off."

"That's the truth?" Veronica set her jaw and glared hard at her father. "That's what I wanted to hear." He stood up and walked toward the kitchen. "As long as it's the truth."

--

Mrs. Dunn's class was difficult to sit through without falling asleep on a normal day. Add a minor crisis, a sleepless night, and a nagging intuition that something was wrong... and it was utterly useless. The ninety-minute class passed like an entire school day, even with Wallace there again to keep her company.

He was pretty much silent anyway. Rumors were flying, a slight under current to Duncan's, of course, and he had been informed that he was on 'academic-probation', so he had to pay extra attention in class.

Once the bell rang, Wallace poked a bit of fun at her for being so hazy, and the two of them separated for the last class of the day. Half way to her history room, her cell vibrated in her back pocket, indicating that someone had sent her a text message.

"I got a bone to pick w/ U." It was from Logan's cell. She shook her head and stuffed the phone back in her pocket.

"Hey, Woman," Veronica stopped and sighed with a grin.

"I prefer 'Your Majesty', 'Highness' or 'Lady Savior'." She said as she turned and approached Weevil.

"I apologize- won't happen again. Now, permission to speak freely?" He joked back.

"Granted," she answered with a short nod and a smirk.

"I was wondering if you could do me a favor,"

"Ooh- interesting turn of the table."

"Something like that. What kind of information can you get me on the Fitzpatrick's?"

The name alone made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up, and she frowned. "So _now_ you decide to listen to me. Which one'a your cronies slipped up?"

"That's not important." He was certainly good at being unreadable when he wanted to be. "Can you do anything for me?"

Veronica pursed her lips and shrugged. "The Fitzpatrick's really kind of have it in for me... bad." She shook her head with an apologetic look in her eyes. "It's not gonna happen."

"Oh come on, V-"

"'Lady Savior'," She corrected

"I'm not calling you that." She cocked her head to the side and smiled at him. "What could you have possibly done to get those freaks so mad at you?"

She looked off behind him where Logan was walking quickly across the hall. "I... asked all the wrong questions."

"You? No way." Weevil gave her a smirk and turned to walk away.

"Maybe the next favor!" She called after him before making her way to the room.

Before the late bell rang, her cell vibrated again and she pulled it out from her bag.

"I always knew you were a vibrating kind of girl," Dick commented lowly from behind her, and she only turned and glared at him for a moment.

She looked at the display for a long time before shaking her head and putting it away, thinking about the message from an unknown number.

"9".

--

So this could be described as 'slow', but it's all about the text messaging, people.

THANKS SO MUCH TO: **Hiphopdaze, movies are love, wantingchino, lukeandlorealilove, LJ, Kaylasue, and Fanficfairt514! **


	5. Have a Little Faith in Me

So this was intended to be longer, but... what can I say? I wanna go to bed. Lol. I'm really seriously breaking personal limits here posting nightly, and it's AWESOME. Thanks so much for the reviews! Now... for questions... Don't worry, '**wantingchino**', nothing of the sort will happen. YES, Duncan is GONE FOREVER NEVER TO RETURN... because... I think we all know by now that I don't like him much. Aaand '**Kaosmalek**' That's supposed to be in italics as a flashback, but it wouldn't surprise me if decided to italicize whatever it wanted to. I'll run back through tomorrow and add separators to make it more sensical.

THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS **hiphopdaze, Fanficfairy514, wantingchino, kaosmalek, and lukeandlorealilove!**

--

CHAPTER 5

**Have a Little Faith in Me**

Okay, she was thankful that the rumors about Duncan leaving overpowered those of 'the breakup' for the most part, but even so, the quality of the day was quickly decreasing. Things had been going relatively smooth until Weevil talked to her about the Fitzpatrick's, but then everything went sour.

It started, she got some stupid text message from a blocked number and now, three hours later, she'd gotten 3 more. In order they were '9', '3', and '6'. Just before that, she had gotten a message from Logan- who was probably not going to _ever_ leave her alone about clearing his name.

And just moments before the last bell rang, after going through an entire period of Dick being his usual jackass self, she was called to the office.

"How can I help you, _Principal_ Clemmons?" Veronica asked in her usual tone. Just as she was adding her signature smirk, her dad turned around and gave her a very condemning look. "Dad?"

The moment had flashed through her imagination so many times since Lily died that Veronica didn't know which fear to go with. Was her mom dead? Had someone else been murdered? Was something wrong with her dad? Had she finally been caught in one of her sleuthing acts?

Today, though, a new paranoia set in. Had Duncan been caught? Was _he_ dead? ...Was the baby?

"Honey," He said in that annoying little tone of his- the one he uses when he _knows_ what's going on. But this time, she felt as if she was genuinely innocent. "We need to talk."

Clemmons held up his arm to show her the way into his new office. "This way, Miss Mars." She had to physically bite her tongue to keep herself from adding some witty remark.

Everything she had done in the past few months ran through her head. Fitzpatrick's? Wallace's ex? Has _she_ blamed something on Veronica? Was Logan in trouble and had ratted her out for something?

"Okay, what's the problem?" She asked as she sat down directly next to her father in front of Clemmons' desk. "This isn't my favorite mind game."

Keith looked over at her with such a stern, shadowy look that he actually scared her. 

"Veronica, Duncan's ATM card has been used in Mexico. That's an awfully large from Northern California just this morning." Veronica gave her father a pointed look, signaling him to continue. "He's used all kinds of tricks. And the... sheriff and the FBI are convinced that someone is helping him from Neptune."

Veronica's jaw dropped for a moment before she sputtered out, "And you think that's me!" Both of the men looked at her, serving her with her answer. "I haven't talked to him at all since he broke up with me. And I haven't _really_ talked to him since before he left for Napa!"

"What do you mean '_really'_?" Keith asked, turning slightly to face her.

"I mean-...had a conversation. Since Meg died he hasn't said a word." Veronica glanced at Clemmons, who wore his typical expression. Her eyes slid over to her dad, who was doing just the same. "You don't believe me." She accused.

"Okay, Veronica. Let's go." He said and stood up, then sent a look of thanks to Clemmons.

The two of them walked out to Keith's car silently, interrupted only by Veronica's phone signaling another text message. '4'.

--

Logan paced around the penthouse nervously. 'His' penthouse.

The Feds had just been there for over an hour, and he was almost certain that everything was bugged. Everything _had_ to be bugged. He was beginning to think that he wasn't as good at the Nancy Drew game as Veronica, and that he shoulda kept out of all of this. Duncan, Felix, Weevil, the Fitzpatrick's... he should have said 'no'.

But he did, and here he was, nervous to do _anything. _And there was SO much he had to do. But first, he had to talk to Veronica.


	6. React

Alright all you lovelies, I'm very sorry that I didn't update the past two night, Sunday I was watching the rerun of Donut Run, and last night I was slowly murdering myself at the gym. This chapter is a little longer to make up for it, and who knows? I might post another tonight or in the AM! ROCK ON FOR THE STATE OF THE UNION! –falls over-

THANKS SO MUCH FOR THE REVIEWS! **FanficFairy514, wantingchino, LJ and eternalgorithum**. You all get 1000 points. ;-)

I surely do hope you all enjoy this!

--

NEED A BREAK CH.6 React 

Veronica burst into her apartment in front of her dad and threw her heavy book back to the floor before walking down the hall to her bedroom.

"Veronica, honey," Keith called after her and followed. He stood outside of Veronica's locked door and sighed. "Veronica, come out here, we can talk."

"No- no I really don't think we can anymore." She answered from her waterbed and reached under her pillow for her personal CD player.

"Veronica, you have to admit that after this year I don't have much of a reason to take your word anymore." He jumped back when something heavy hit the door and nearly growled before shouting back. "I really don't think that's going to help anything, now get out here and talk!"

That tone was enough to make Veronica's skin crawl... she couldn't believe that her father would _ever_ say things like that to her. After another second listening to her dad threaten to ground her and bust down the door and keep her inside forever, she sat up and threw essentials in a bag for a few days and climbed out her window. She threw the bag in her car before walking back to the apartment, ducking inside as her father was trying to sweet talk the door, and took her backpack before she left.

--

Logan was still too paranoid to take a shower by the time Veronica called him back. 

"Now what was it that you wanted to pick with me? A bone?" She asked before he could even get a word in.

"Hey, now's not a good time, the maintenance lady's gonna be here soon and she is _oh-_so-fine. Can you meet me at your apartment in thirty?" He asked, looking at each light fixture, expecting to find a mic, (not that he actually knew what to look for).

"Nope."

"No?"

Veronica inserted a key card into a lock at a Motel 8 that was about 17 miles from her house. She figured The Camelot would be a dead give away, and the Grand was too expensive, so she crossed town and decided to use one of the spare untraceable phones and leave hers off- yanno, just to throw off her dad for a while.

"It's tented for termites." Veronica answered in a flat voice. "Where else can we rendezvous?"

"I was thinking of going for a dip somewhere." He was met with dead silence for almost a full fifteen seconds. "Veronica?"

"You wanna take a _dip_?" She repeated back before setting down her bags on the bed and looking around.

"Yes, Veronica, I want to swim. Problem with that?" Logan was already packing up things to take with him as Veronica stuttered on the other side of the line. "You can wear a one-piece if you want." He humored her with a grin that he wished she could see.

"Tell me what's wrong with the pool there?"

"The pool boy gives me looks. How about we meet me at the Taco Hut by the school and we'll go from there."

"Whatever." She gave in, not even wanting to know what was going on in Logan's pea-brain.

--

Logan ditched his car in the parking lot of the Burger Stop and took a Taxi to a neighboring Frank Meyer to buy a pair of new trunks and sandals, then directed the cabby to the Taco Hut.

Veronica was sitting at an outside picnic table near the store with a small drink cup. "Riding in style, as always." She observed without moving when he stepped out of the cab.

"Hey- do you have you have your phone on you?" He asked and she gave him a sideways look. Logan could tell right then and there that she had figured out pretty much what he was up to.

"No, but I have _a_ phone. Why the cab, Sydney Bristow?"

"Just get in." He answered with a smirk and the two of them were off for a dip in the pool at the exact fitness center that Veronica had pictured Kendall in so many months ago.

Veronica waited until the both of them were stripped and changed, then in the pool before asking, "So, what? You think the Feds are after you like white on rice because you smuggled Duncan across the border?"

Logan decided to ignore this.

Veronica stilled herself completely from where she was waving her arms slowly over the top of the water. "Ok, most of that was supposed to be a joke."

"Has he talked to you yet?" Logan asked, looking around the pool, mainly to avoid the look of Veronica in her two-piece... he figured she'd done that just to spite him.

"Duncan?" She asked, moving slightly so that she was back in his line of vision, and he nodded. "No. There are traces everywhere; _everyone_ thinks I had something to do with this. Why would he call me? Why would he call anyone?"

"He was supposed to get a phone number to you."

Veronica once again stilled and looked off into space. "Phone number?" She mumbled before looking back to Logan.

--

-sigh- ok. This is finally getting where I need it to get lol. I can assure you all, that though Daddy-kins seems a little OOC, I think it's time for him to reach the end of his rope with Veronica. Not that I want her to get locked up or anything! But I think he's VERY patient with her lately, especially in Donut Run. So I make him explode a little.

And now let's all take a moment to imagine Logan in the pool. Aaaand done.

TBC and LET ME KNOW HOW IT'S GOING!


	7. Underwater

Alright guys, sorry I didn't write for a few nights! I can't believe I'm going to say this... I always get so mad about this excuse but I'm finally living it. Midterms are kicking my buttocks. But they're about over, this is the last week of this hell, and then I'll be gravy again. THANKS SO MUCH FOR THE REVIEWS! THIS IS AWESOME! **FanFicFairy514, shelly, luvlogan-sara, hiphopdaze, moustrich, Kristin, LJ, and wantingchino are all going to Veronica Mars heaven, and all get 2 cookies of choice. Returning reviewers get a bonus 500 points! Yay! **Lol.

LEMME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!

Underwater is by Teagan and Sarah, the ones that did I know I know I know on the ST!

--

**I NEED A BREAK CH. 7**

Underwater

Don Lamb stormed back into his office, hoping against hope that the Feds hadn't gotten back from Big Bear yet. He wouldn't ever breathe a word to anyone about what had happened in Mexico, he'd lose his seat as sheriff for sure.

He'd done everything he was supposed to; watched out for Veronica, kept track of every trail and every detail, and left immediately when there was finally a break. Lamb was confident that the FBI wasn't needed, that he'd find the stupid kid by himself.

Well... at least they hadn't found Kane either.

Lamb was sitting at his desk staring at the wood grain with a very unpleasant expression on his face when the deputy stuck his head in and asked, "Any luck?"

"Do you see Kane, here?" Lamb snapped without moving. "Hey!" He called as the deputy moved to leave the room. "Don't mention to anyone that I went down there."

No questions asked, he left and shut the door behind him.

Lamb had done everything right. He saw the notification that Kane's ATM card had been used down in Mexico and booked it down there while the FBI nimrods were going upstate. The older man at the location where the card had been used told him to try up the road a bit... and a boy there told him to try down the road a bit...

Lamb wasn't sure just where Kane had climbed out of his trunk. It could have been the first stop... or the second... but when the black and white went over some old train tracks, it was obvious that the cable had been cut.

He wouldn't breathe a word.

--

"So," Veronica started in a very neutral voice after about five minutes of floating with Logan watching her. "Where'd you stash your car?"

"The Burger Stop." Logan answered with a grin.

"How do you even know they bugged anything? Do you know what to look for?"

"Well maybe Ms. Mars can come inspect my apartment."

"_Your _apartment?" Veronica moved to stand up in the pool instead of floating on top of the water.

"I _am_ alone in there... unless you wanna move in."

"You're just full of responses today, aren't you?" Logan smirked at her but offered no come back. "I should be getting back."

"Right." Logan answered lowly, watching Veronica lift herself out of the pool instead of taking the stairs. He could barely keep from fantasizing. "Hey- DK told me that since he's... being Daddy of the year that I'm supposed to be your chauffer for school."

She had to admit that the thought _had_ crossed her mind, that she was without ride to school... and a senior on the bus? "Keep dreaming, Echolls." She said with a sideways smile. "I go to school a _lot _more often than you do."

Logan gave her a smile and watched her leave before dunking under water and trying to relax.

--

Next: find out what dick and beav are up to, and kendall is lonely! Lovely action may be soon!


	8. Let It Will Be

Two thousand words, people! This one's for you wantingchino because you said that ch 7 was too short! heh. but as long as i'm posting every night (and i'll get back on track now that tests are done) chapters will be like 600-700 words. 36 hours of work+school is really cutting into my writing time, dang it! lol. stupid real life...

anyhow... FREAKING HOORAY FOR REVIEWS AND VIEWS! I'VE NEVER _EVER _HAD THIS MANY OF EITHER ON CAPTAIN VIBE RETURNS! -cough- heh... i mean...

**ROCK FREAKING ON FOR NEW REVIEWERS! sarca666, PheonixRose, wickedshizit, gyrlfrend(times two!) and sammie all get 1,500 points and an invitation to a Logan-themed block party!**

**and for FanFicFairy and wantingchino, a Fondu party at the corner of Veronica and Wallace St. in VM heaven and pink bunnies named Logan. yay! **

...Now I have to find a song to make a title...hmm...

--

**NEED A BREAK CH. 8  
**Let It Will Be

Veronica finally managed to drag her feet into her hotel room later that night. There was no way around it... she just had too much on her mind. It had only taken three days of school after the holiday break for her to getfed up with everything. Duncan pulling some super disappearing act, Logan being nice, Weevil asking for things, Dick being somewhat tolerable...

She was wrong. Neptune High _could_ get worse. It could _always_ get worse.

Now, on top of everything plus the tension of keeping perfect grades, she had exiled herself from her house... and there was no Pit Bull to protect her.

Now this, _this_ needed some contemplation. Veronica felt as if maybe she had over reacted. Maybe her teenage drama sensors had gone haywire and she had 'run away' from home when she could have had a perfectly good opportunity to prove to her father that she could be trusted. He probably wouldn't go for it if she stayed away all night.

...That and she couldn't turn on her phone to get the assumed phone number from Duncan...

'Come on, Veronica,' She thought to herself. 'Stay in a hotel and make for an awkward tomorrow, or go home and make an awkward night with a potentially better tomorrow...'

Veronica pulled a bus schedule out of her backpack and ran her finger down a column of departure times, thenopened the door to her apartment thirty minutes later, to come directly face to face with her father. For the first time in quite a few years, she couldn't tell if he was incredibly mad, or incredibly worried. Either way, he looked like something to avoid.

She couldn't think of a way to start the conversation- she didn't think he deserved an apology of any sort. So for a full thirty seconds, she stood toe to toe with her dad, the great Keith Mars, with a stoic expression and her bottom lip between her teeth.

"I can't tell if this means you're guilty or innocent." He finally said, and his shaky voice gave away his worry, which was quickly masked by Veronica's anger.

"I can't believe you!" She cried out and sidestepped him to throw herself down on the couch.

Keith remained in his spot, but turned to face his daughter. She had a brief image of him standing there the entire day. "You know, I meant what I said, we've had a rough year." Veronica rolled her head to the side to avoid his stare. "But I'm going to take your word with this. And Veronica," She looked back at him. "It's a very fragile word."

She thought for a moment before answering him with a false smile, "If there's anything I _didn't_ help my serious boyfriend with, it's fleeing the country with another girl's baby."

Keith watched his daughter for a few seconds before sighing and opening his arms. Veronica got up and walked into his hug, and sighed, "God, this stupid town is _such_ a Soap Opera"

Her dad chuckled before pulling her back. "Actually, I like to think of it as a prime time drama... we haven't had anyone come back from the dead. Yet."

--

The moment Weevil saw Veronica looking at him he regretted his choice to come to school. He could deal with a bus ride, whispers, and even mockery from 09ers. But a half confused-half sympathetic head tilt from a little blonde was basically his limit. He realized that after making direct eye contact with the Mars girl, there was no avoiding her, so he stopped.

Veronica had definitely seen worse, but not in Weevil... typically whatever she had to see was a result of Weevil's work. She held up a manila folder with no label and raised an eyebrow. "I'm guessing... maybe you don't need this?"

He took the folder out of her hands and looked at the numerous pages of information on the Fitzpatrick's, then back to her. "Nah, I think I pretty much got it figured."

"Well... Keep it." She said, then gave him a pointed look, as to demand him to explain his wounds.

She, unfortunately, had no idea what Logan and Weevil were up to, or even that the two of them had teamed up in a Super Cross-Economic-Class-Duo to solve the unsolvable. He shook his head and walked past her, crossing paths with Logan as he did. She watched with an amused expression as Logan turned completely around and took a few steps backwards to watch Weevil pass.

Veronica leaned back against her locker as Logan approached her and watched him give her his overly sarcastic smile. "How's the termite problem?" She lowered her eyelids and gave him her very own overly sarcastic smile. "Hey- did you get it...?"

She knew that he was talking about the phone number. "Ten digits, right here." She told him, holding up her Sidekick with a green sticky note on it revealing the numbers.

"Shut up!" He hissed and looked around him.

Veronica rolled her eyes and removed the sticky before placing her phone in her bag. "You're not even a suspect." She said lowly. "Why would they bug you? And why at school?" She paused for a second and put on a worried expression. "You didn't s_leep_ with them there, did you? They could have embedded a mic in your inner ear!"

Logan sighed and looked up above Veronica for a moment before taking a paper out of his pocket, then leaning over her to put his hand on her locker. She grimaced at the proximity of this oh-so-awkward ex boyfriend, but noticed he was putting the note in the vents of her locker.

"Hey Ronnie!" Dick called, walking by with a group of his buddies. He gave her a 'thumbs up'. "Way to go- fish in the sea, fish in the sea... and you-" He pointed at Logan and gave a smirk and a short nod, and he then he was on his way.

Veronica bumped the back of her head on her locker in frustration before calling out, "Stop calling me Ronnie!" She sighed and glared in Dick's general direction before turning back to Logan. "I really see no need for all of this super spy action, fun as it may be for you."

Logan tapped the back of his hand on her locker above her head and leaned in to say, "Call me paranoid." And then he was off; down the hallway towards whatever class he was going to grace with his presence today.

Veronica turned and reopened her locker to read the note.

'Do NOT call him until the first.' That gave her almost a full month to sit on this phone number and contemplate what Duncan could _possibly_ be up to.

"Great." She mumbled and shut her locker as the warning bell rang.

AP History was ninety minutes easily ignored, but Advanced Chemistry 2 seemed to take nearly a year for Veronica. Her hand was on her phone throughout the entire lecture on hydrocarbons, while the most moral side of her mind listened to Evil Veronica list reasons why she should call Duncan today. Luckily, the last bell of the day rang before Evil Veronica could make her closing argument, and the phone slipped back into her bag.

She rolled her shoulders before starting out on her walk to the big yellow bus. As soon as she took her first step, Weevil crossed in font of her and nearly ran right into her. "Here, I don't need this." He said to Veronica, and gave back the manila folder.

Veronica scowled after he had left and continued on her way, but stopped as she noticed that the folder was empty. She flipped it open and saw that the only thing inside was a torn piece of paper taped to the right side reading, 'Heard you're good with lifting phones. I need Thumper's. No questions asked? -W'

She stared at the note for a few moments before looking up and closing the folder. Dick walked by and mumbled with a smirk, "Later Ronnie."

"Later Dickie." She called after him and glared as he turned to look back at her.

Logan was next to intercept her and she threw her arms down and looked to the sky. "Can I _not_ just go home?" She grumbled to the heavens and looked at Logan.

"Don't be so melodramatic, Veronica Mars." Logan said with a smirk. "I'm here to give you a ride." She stood still with a look of desperation and exhaustion before opening her mouth to object. Logan cut her off with, "Get in the car, Ronnie."

--

"So, what exactly is it you're doing right here?" Wallace asked, leaning over Veronica as she worked on her laptop with that little sleuth sparkle in her eye that she got whenever she was spying on someone via her PI Network.

"You remember that time last year when you helped me steal Tad's cell?"

"Yeah," Wallace answered and watched the screen. "Wait- what? I helped you steal a phone?"

"Yeah," she answered in an obvious tone and faced him. "We dropped that untraceable in his bag and I had you call him in the middle of a class...?"

"_That's_ what you were up to?"

"Of course, my horse." She answered and turned back to the screen. "I need to do that again... but to someone who's not so... oblivious to life... and a little more dangerous."

"Like who?"

"He who they call 'Thumper'. But his momma likes to call him 'Eduardo'."

Wallace was quiet for a moment before mumbling, "What, does he have the number of some hot motorcycle gang dude you want?"

Veronica grinned and decided to be honest with him this time. "Actually, I have no idea why I'm getting it. Someone asked me, and... out of the goodness of my heard and... possibly a chemical imbalance of my brain, I'm doing it."

"Okay, that's all fine and dandy, but who's this? Shawn Nelson doesn't look like Eduardo _or_ Thumper." Wallace walked Veronica's desk and sat down on her waterbed.

"Yeah- I _happen _to know from spending a little time in the Sheriff's office lately that Shawn Nelson has a problem with 'accidentally' taking things from people's pockets."

Wallace put two and two together and narrowed his eyes at his BFF. "But... wouldn't that mean that it was a... failed attempt?"

"Well... my thinking is that most of the time..." Veronica tilted her head from side to side, as if she was weighing the options. "And don't dash my dreams, because I'm hoping with a little green, this'll happen."

"So what's the plan, detective?"

Veronica swiveled in her desk chair to face her best friend and smiled widely at him. "Planning on going to the Winter Carnival?"

--

Veronica watched as couples poured into the park for the Senior's yearly carnival and felt herself fill with resentment towards Duncan for leaving her alone to be a self-proclaimed outcast. But, she had to focus on raising money for the senior trip. A trip that she was set on missing.

"Get your smoothies..." She called out lamely. "Ice cold... frozen sugar water..."

"Stop," She heard from behind her, and turned to face Logan. "You had me at 'ice cold'."

Veronica sighed and watched him walk around to the front of the stand. "What's your poison?"

"Emotionally unavailable women..." Veronica pretended she didn't hear that, and turned to him with an empty cup, prompting him to decide. "Oh- something to match my mood."

"Ah, we're fresh out of liquid evil."

"Give me two of anything that will turn my tongue blue." Was he perhaps suggesting that he was feeling down? Veronica tilted her head for a spilt second, noting his new (but standard) haircut.

"Hot date?" She asked, turning to fill his order.

"Rain check?" Wow, he was really playing all his cards today, wasn't he?

Veronica took his fifty-dollar bill and gave him his change before he turned with a mischievous Logan-styled eyebrow raise and left. She smiled and straightened as Wallace approached the Smoothie booth with Shawn Nelson in tow.

--

That's madonna, folks. OK THERE'S GONNA BE REAL LOVE ACTION- NOT JUST SUGGESTIVE DIALOG!I'm thinking of a littleetta james...'at last'heh. aaaand i KNOW that i probably don't have the words just right from 'ain't no magic mountain high enough' IT'S OK- i'll get the right ones tomorrow when it airs again and i'll fix it. ...and speaking of which i was totally about to disown logan until i found out what he was up to. sneaky little freaking flirt. i'd totally TOTALLY fall for him.

REVIEW AND LET ME KNOW HOW IT'S GOING. I'M TOTALLY EXCITED FOR THIS STORY. WHOOOOOOOOT!


	9. At Last

Wow. This one's long too. It wasn't intentional- I just started it tonight... hmm. Yeah so I realize that it's been 9 days or so since I updated with a chapter that stated I'd be posting every day, and here are my excuses: 5 tests in 4 days, over-time at work, and too, too, TOO much cold medicine to stay up late. But yes, I've always hated the school-oriented excuses. I'VE GOT 19 HOURS OF COLLEGE A WEEK! But only for a few more weeks. Then I've got 30. –falls over-

Now that I've rambled on about nothing at all, on to the point:

Sorry I didn't update nightly! But now I've got some LoVe in here, and I've got the phone thing done and I put Wallace in here a bit, and Cassidy and WHOOOT. So- I'll be going back to more often posts. (you can really tell I'm on the drowsy meds, huh?)

**PHEONIXROSE**: a while ago you said 'no sexual content please' and I just wanted to say: no worries. I used to be a queen of smut, but now I can't even READ it, let alone write it. I dunno. But yes. Lovely times ahead, in the most family oriented terms!

**SHELLY: **You, for a limited time only, get a Yellow Xterra with Logan in the passenger seat, and 500 points! ;-) thanks for the reviews, YOU ROCK

Thanks to **wantingchino **for the long review, and **bklyangel, **HANNA SHOULD DIE. 'nough said. ;-)

**THANKS AND THANKS AGAIN TO: balefan31, your-my-bitch, luvlogan-sara, sarca666, shelly, fanficfairy514, sasha, Sammie, bklyangel, and wantingchino—and everyone else that viewed it! REVIEW MORE I LOVE IT! **

**Returning reviewers get a talking, witty Veronica doll and a bag of Doritos, flavor of choice! **

**-- **

**NEED A BREAK CH. 9  
**At Last

Wallace looked over his shoulder, feeling that what he and Veronica were up to was probably one of the most James Bond thing he'd ever done. Sure, they had bugged plants, busted monetary scams, and made tag-team recon trips. But somehow planning to secretly lift a cell phone from some PCH 'gangster' that looked capable of murder was ending up higher on his list of adrenaline producers.

He made his way up to the FBLA Slushie stand five minutes before Veronica was supposed to be done working. Slightly behind him was Shawn Nelson; an alleged kleptomaniac. No matter what the rap sheet in the Sherrif's Office said... Wallace had to admit that Shawn was kinda hot.

Veronica handed a Pina Colada flavored drink to one of the 09er cronies and gave him a bored smile as he removed the lid and added a substantial amount of Captain Morgan. "And that's precisely why your brain is so functional." She called to his back in a singsong type of voice before turning to see her visitors. "Ah, excellent." She said giving her best 'Mr. Burns' imitation before she untied the waitress pack from her hips and checked her watch.

Shawn opened her mouth to say 'hello', but was cut off by the terrible twosome: Logan and Dick. "Hey, Shawn, anyone tell you that it's January?" Dick teased, pointing at her basketball style shorts.

Shawn smirked and rolled her eyes. "Hey, Dick, anyone tell you that we're in _California_?" He gave her a mock-laugh and she sighed before shrugging.

Veronica watched, amused, as Dick joked with Shawn, who pushed him away after it seemed like she'd had enough. "Get away from me," Shawn joked to the Casablancas boy before turning to Veronica. "I've got a hot date with this Mars girl."

-------

The following Monday, Shawn watched from her seat in the back of her history classroom as Weevil was called out at exactly 10:35. She slouched down in her seat and pulled a cell phone out of her pocket. This had all been Veronica's stunning work; get Weevil out of the room, then swipe Thumper's phone. She had supplied Shawn with a brand new cell phone that was exactly identical to the one she was supposed to steal. She'd have to activate it so that Thumper's number worked with it, then pocket the old phone, and return the new one...

"Cake," she muttered to herself before snapping the phone shut. She had the directions that Veronica printed out from Thumper's phone company's Internet support site. It'd be easy enough to do during class, as long as she could come up with some sort of distraction to the alleged murderer.

Shawn heard a phone vibrate during a film on the Japanese invasion of Pearl Harbor and checked her own before looking around. In the seat directly in front of her, Thumper took his phone out of his pocket and opened it just exactly where Shawn could read the message. "meet at the can. now." He sighed and set the phone down on top of his black backpack as he slid out of his seat to go to the teacher's desk.

Shawn's heart started racing right then, as she knew that she only had a few seconds to get the phones switched. She kicked off her right flip-flop and used her toes to grab the phone off of the bag and put it on the floor next to her on the left. She grabbed it and opened it.

She and Veronica (along with Wallace, Weevil and Logan) had argued and debated for nearly two hours the previous Saturday at the carnival on the best way to take this phone from the new 'top thug'. This had been the only plan that worked, seeming as how Weevil supplied just enough information to get across that Thumper was pretty protective over his phone.

Shawn sighed quietly and followed all the printed directions as quickly as possible, but looked up to see that Thumper had finished pleading his case of a sensitive stomach that just didn't treat him right on Tuna Surprise day, and was waiting for the teacher to sign a hall pass. She bit her lip and looked back at the phone, it was doubtful that she could get this all done in time. The teacher scribbled on the back of the hall pass before opening her drawer to look for another pen.

Shawn clenched and unclenched her jaw and looked around. Dick's younger brother was sitting a seat up and a seat over from her- she decided he'd have to do the job. "Cassidy," She hissed and watched as he looked around before turning to face her. "Trip him." She told him, simultaneously taking the top cover off of the phone and pulling out a tiny tracking device out of an envelope with the directions.

"What? Are you nuts?" He whispered back. Thumper was already on his way to his desk, presumably to get his phone and leave the room, and Shawn gave the Beaver her most desperate look. Her hands were shaking as she tried to put the phone back together. This was SO much different than sneaking something out of someone's pocket, which is what she had been busted for. Veronica had turned it all SuperSpy, and Shawn hoped she could get it done.

Cassidy leaned back in his desk, feigning a stretch, and let his right foot get in the way of Thumper, who stumbled slightly. "Man, what up, huh?" He growled and leaned down to get into Cassidy's face.

"Dude... sorry. I just moved. You're the one that tripped." Shawn grinned at Cassidy- since when did he have enough bravado to talk like that to _Thumper_?

Shawn snapped the cover back on the new phone, flipped them both open to compare and make sure she knew which was which, then grabbed onto the front of her desk with the new phone in her right hand and Thumper said, "Oh, boy- you don't _even_ wanna go-"

"Hey, excuse me," She said rather loudly, and dropped the phone onto Thumpers bag before he turned to look at her. "I'm trying to watch the Japanese dudes blast the living crap out of the American dudes, could you keep it down?"

Thumper rolled his eyes, and everyone in the classroom snickered.

"Alright guys, this isn't fun-time. Be quite and watch the movie." The teacher said, not amused with the outburst.

"That's what _I'm_ sayin'!" Shawn called and sat back in her seat as Thumper reached for the phone and walked out of the room.

Shawn watched him go with a big smile before looking up at the clock- 10:40. She pulled a pink hall pass out of the sleeve of her folder that held the rest of her 'covert-ops' information. She got up and walked to the teachers desk giving the Beaver a smile-in-thanks as she passed. "Mrs. Holloway, remember how I told you this morning that I had to leave for a few minutes?"

The teacher nodded and held her hand out for the hall pass. It read that Shawn Nelson needed to be excused at 10:45 on Monday to the Audio/Visual room for an interview for the Navigator... most of that was true.

Shawn walked through the halls and entered the A/V room too see Veronica sitting alone at a computer, twirling a USB cord with a smirk. "Weevil kinda made it sound like he was hiding something, huh?" Shawn asked flatly and tossed Thumpers phone to her new partner-in-crime.

"Yeah. I've learned to trust him less and less lately. O figure I'll download it and not watch it unless I need to." Veronica said and connected the phone to the computer. "Or if I'm bored."

-----

As Logan drove Veronica home that day, he drummed his thumbs on the steering wheel of his Xterra to the music that was playing quietly. He had given her more than a few rides now, and each one was more silent, and more uncomfortable than the last. He made a show of looking left-and-right at a stop sign near Veronica's apartment just so he could look at her for a second.

She was sitting in his passenger seat with her elbow on the armrest, and her chin propped on her fist. Her other hand rested over the backpack in her lap and her legs were stretched out and crossed at the ankles. The only thing Logan could think of was that she looked like a teen that was being carted around by a not-so-cool parent.

"Come on, Ronica," He joked as he pulled up to her apartment. "You're not _that_ embarrassed of the yellow, are you? I think it gives this ol' thing character."

Veronica grinned ruefully before looking at him. "If the character you're going for is Big Bird, then... I agree. Plenty of character." Logan returned her grin and watched her put one finger up to her lips. "No- yanno... I like to think of it as one big rolling ball of _sunshine_." She clasped her hands in front of her and pursed her lips in mock emotion. "Spreading joy to the world of Neptune." Veronica relished in her own sarcasm for a moment before dropping her hands and turning to look at Logan. "Thanks for the ride."

Logan opened his mouth in shock, but couldn't contain a sideways smile as he said, "My word, Veronica, a 'thank you'! I was beginning to think I'm giving you these rides for nothing!"

Veronica smiled for a moment before looking away and grabbing the door handle. "Why _are_ you giving me rides in the Sunshine-mobile?"

"Because, Oh Tiny Blonde One, I am your servant." He said gesturing with his hands from himself to her.

"Right." She answered and raised an eyebrow.

There was something on her mind today. She had been very successful with Thumper's phone situation thanks to Shawn, and the rest of the day had been fine. Finals were still far in the future, but she had to start thinking about studying if she planned on keeping the scholarship. Her dad had been rather cheerful, and she was beginning to think that the two of them were going to be okay...

Basically- there was absolutely no reason for her mind to be traveling the paths it was.

"Logan..." Veronica started and debated for several long moments before turning in his direction without actually making eye contact. "Do you remember that night... when we were..." Veronica looked down to her shoes, nothing a frayed shoelace. "And the biker drove by and..."

Logan remembered, but didn't answer. He wanted her to look at him, and he figured she would eventually turn her eyes on him if he didn't answer- so he stared at her as she spoke... or stuttered.

"You said... and well, something's been bothering me for a... a while now." She shrugged and shook her head a little bit as she picked at her jeans. "I guess I'm just in a mode to tie up all my lose ends. But... do you remember?"

Logan remembered vividly what he had said.

--

_"I should go, because my dad is probably watching us through a telescope." Logan was slightly disappointed about the distraction from their make-out session but pulled back to look at her. _

He grinned and watched her look over her shoulder at her apartment. "He's probably impressed with your virtue." He teased in a whisper.

Veronica let out a very un-Veronica giggle, and dodged his oncoming kiss. She looked back the apartment and whispered "And that telescope is mounted on a rifle."

Logan humored the joke (knowing that it may very well be true) and looked out the window to an imaginary Keith and held up his hand. "Five more minutes." His wit was rewarded by another giggle. "He should feel lucky." He told her in a slightly louder tone. "I mean, you could be out here with some pretty-boy jerk just looking to get laid."

"Wait." Veronica avoided another kiss and feigned seriousness. "What are you saying? You're not pretty?"

He'd been waiting for an opportunity, and this one seemed like a pretty good one. Logan plastered on his perfect grin and looked into Veronica's eyes. "Ah, what I'm trying to say is I'm in love with you."

_  
The response she gave him then was one that had kept his mind reeling for nearly six months now. "The things guys will say to get past second base."_

--

Logan had been left after the biker so politely interrupted their date with a shotgun to wonder what Veronica meant. Did she really think he was lying? Was that her own strange-Veronica-way of showing happiness after being told someone loved her?

Veronica finally looked up at Logan, and he had to swallow before he spoke. "Of course,"

"I never said it back." Logan's eyes slightly widened and he was pretty sure his heart stopped beating. "I meant to- but-"

This meant she loved him- this ended his torment about what she meant that night. Logan didn't take the time to debate whether or not she _still_ loved him, or if she could ever love him _again_.

Instead, he just reached for her and pulled her into an incredibly passionate and INCREDIBLY overdue kiss.


	10. Dead Wrong

Alright ALRIGHT I know it's been too long since I've updated, but I've been wicked busy and overly sidetracked by one of the best stories I've ever read. Longest, too. But here I am with a relatively boring chapter. I find myself increasingly pissed off because I can't, for the life of me, figure out who the f is responsible for the crash, why Weevil would go after Curly and how Logan can be such a slut. Buuuut I guess that means it's an awesome TV show (like we didn't know that already) because I can't figure it out! AHH. But anyhow. Here it is.

Mucho thanks to: Bklyangel, shelly, fanficfairy514, mp6nov, sarca666, balefan31, selucia, sarah, and twinklegirl19297! You all rock! I can't believe how many views and alerts and reviews I've gotten, THE MOST EVER! Thanks!

**NEED A BREAK CH. 10  
**DEAD WRONG

Veronica wasn't going to cry.

No one had died, no one had attempted to murder her, no one had been exposed as a relative, no one had abandoned her, and no one had framed her for a federal offence. Ergo, she had no reason to cry.

All that had happened was that she had just made out with her ex-boyfriend, who was a potential murderer, a blackmailer, who possessed a violent nature, too many secrets and who had slept with Dick's mom…

That's all. Nothing major.

Veronica walked into her apartment and quickly closed it behind her before falling back onto it and covering her mouth as she let out sobs that wracked her body.

----------------------------------------------------------

Logan almost felt guilty for what he was about to do, and it was all Veronica's fault. Well, mostly her fault, partly his. If she hadn't have told him what she felt that night, he wouldn't have kissed her. She wouldn't have given him that signature 'I'm so confused" look with the quivering lip and he wouldn't have started laughing hysterically for no good reason as she fled from his car. And if he weren't so hell-bent on proving himself innocent, he probably wouldn't have decided to show just how committed he was to a false relationship with Hannah today. But... well, this was **Logan** and that Tom Griffith jerk was messing up everything. Repeatedly.

Hannah was a cute girl and if Logan... wasn't Logan, and didn't have the past that he did, he'd consider her. But as for right now, he was feeling a little selfish as he took Hannah's books from her and grabbed her hand anyway. There were whispers and looks and all out shouts as he made a scene of this new girl, she blushed and he grinned. No one seemed to catch his momentary absence of a heartbeat as the two walked past Veronica.

After an entire night of contemplation, decided on a stance that would mirror her actions almost exactly a year ago. _"My lips, for all intents and purposes, are sealed."_ But that doesn't mean that she didn't nearly scream when Logan walked by with some underclassmen girl. Luckily for her, Mac was suddenly next to her. "Who's that?" Veronica asked innocently.

"Hannah. I'd be that pretty too, if my dad were a plastic surgeon." The comical disdain in Mac's voice made Veronica grin until the words really registered.

She turned to watch him walk down the hall running one thought through her head, 'He's going to get himself killed.' Veronica bit her lip and turned back around, her anger turning back to where it needed to be today.

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Shawn nearly skipped through the halls that day. It was only Tuesday, but as far as anyone could tell, every day was a Friday for her. She was holding the hand of her third-base star boyfriend, Brian, and he was barely keeping up with her, but Shawn was apparently dead set to run smack into Veronica Mars. She made a fake grunting sound as she purposefully ran into the little blonde and said, "God, watch where you're going." But smiled at her.

Veronica turned with a mind to kill whoever had run into her, but saw that her apparent 'new friend' was the culprit. "Gee, Mars, you look all distressed." Shawn said in a flat tone.

"Yeah," Veronica answered and started digging in her backpack for her Sidekick. "Hey, have you seen Weevil lately?"

"No I think he made like a banana in Auto this morning and I haven't seen him since." Shawn said and waved 'good-bye' to Brian as he left. "But he's been acting all weird lately... like the loss of the motorcycle is throwing off his natural balance..." Veronica watched as Shawn contemplated. "Maybe he needs Metamucil..."

Veronica lightly laughed before she looked at the clock on her phone after she finally found it in her bag and sighed. "Crap. Hey- I have to get to Dunn's class early. Maybe I'll see you at lunch?"

Shawn watched as Veronica walked away and shrugged before she turned to make her way to her locker in the next hall. Veronica strode right past Ms. Dunn's classroom and slapped open the double doors at the end of the hallway. Just as she suspected, Weevil was pulling his new green rust-bucket into a parking lot just as the first bell rang. She pulled a manila folder and her phone out of her bag and crossed her arms while Eli got out of his car.

"You know, V, people are gonna start to suspect you if ya keep waitin' up for me with that love-stricken facial expression ya got there." He joked, seeing that she was obviously pissed off.

Veronica stared at him with her jaw set and her eyes dark. She realized, albeit extremely late in the game, that everything about Weevil screamed for her to not trust him. The way he spoke to her, the way he approached her and acted so dodgy. His word had never been worthy and she had given him the benefit of the doubt all along.

But now Veronica Mars knew the truth. Weevil was a killer.


End file.
